Dhaka, Oct. 22 -- For the Election Commission, a technology once promoted as a modern alternative to ballot-box voting has become an expensive burden.

Some 150,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs), bought with Tk 38.25 billion in public money, are gathering dust, many beyond use.

The commission must now find a way to dispose of them without wasting what can still be salvaged or compromising evidence needed in investigations.

The commission, led by AMM Nasir Uddin, has ordered an updated inventory and technical assessment to establish where the machines are stored, their condition and how many remain usable.

Equipment required for investigations or legal proceedings will have to be retained, while the commission wants to settle the fa...